Travel

Domestic Travel Tax Relief & Perks That Malaysians Can Enjoy in 2022

Time to enjoy your cuti-cuti Malaysia this year thanks to the 2022 Domestic Travel Tax Relief!

A collage of Malaysia's most popular tourist attractions including Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Kek Lok Si Temple in Penang, Melaka River Cruise, Gua Niah in Sarawak and Panorama Langkawi Skycab.

Folks, if you haven’t heard about Malaysia’s domestic tourism tax relief and other travel perks in 2022, you may want to keep your eyes peeled on this article!

To give you some context, towards the end of 2021, Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Minister of Finance Malaysia has announced a new add-on for domestic tourism tax relief and other tourism perks in the Budget 2022 tabling.

This domestic tourism tax and other initiatives are happily welcomed by not just local holidaymakers, but also those in Malaysia’s domestic tourism industry. Simply because with these incentives, companies can get back on their feet faster after the crippling effect of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

So, what impact does this have to holidaymakers in Malaysia? This is where the excitement kicks in!

1. Special Individual Income Tax Relief for Domestic Tourism up to RM1,000

You read that right! The domestic tourism tax relief has been extended until 31st December 2022. So, if you are already dreaming about white sandy beaches, getting a good dose of ‘vitamin sea’ or going on a foodie road trips with friends and family, don’t delay any further! Just make sure you keep the receipts of your domestic flight, accommodation, cruise, or train safely in case you need to file them to LHDN after you claim the RM1,000 tax relief!

Take note that you can only claim for accommodation when you check-in to hotels registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Malaysia!

2. Discount Voucher up to RM100 on Domestic Flight Tickets

Yes, this is also for real! You can get a discount voucher worth RM50/RM100 when you book a local return flight ticket to any domestic destination, under selected promotional campaigns. This initiative is to encourage more domestic tourists to travel by air and help boost Malaysia’s airline economy.

P.S. This incentive is applicable to Malaysians with MyKad only.

Check out all the participating airlines before you book your holiday:

a. Malaysia Airlines
b. Firefly
c. MASwings
d. Malindo Air
e. Air Asia

Remember to register for the voucher through respective participating airlines website to claim your RM50/RM100 discount. The voucher code will be sent to you by the airline via an email. Campaign starts 1stApril until 31st December 2022.

3. “Jom Cuti-Cuti Malaysia!’ Discount Voucher on Domestic Land Transport Tickets

No, the government did not forget about you- the holidaymakers who prefer land over air and sea. Quite like the domestic flight discount voucher, discount voucher of RM10 or RM20 will be given to land transport ticket when you travel using Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd, KTM Berhad, Pertubuhan Pengusaha Bas Ekspres Malaysia and Persatuan Teksi KLIA/KLIA2. Not only will this help to boost our local tourism, but it will also increase the overall travel frequency as part of the Tourism Recovery Plan tabled during the last Budget presentation.

How to redeem the discount voucher?

a. Book your tickets online from participating organizations’ websites.
b. Click on “Cuti-cuti Malaysia!” button.
c. Choose your destination and time.
d. Select the available discount voucher.
e. Confirm your booking and make payment with a discount!

4. Discount/Rebate Vouchers For Special Interest Initiative

Besides spending on flights or train tickets and accommodation, the government has also initiated Special Interests Discount/Rebate Vouchers for Malaysians to enjoy until the yearend.

The various discounts and rebate vouchers mainly cover theme park entrance tickets, shopping vouchers, zoo entry tickets, as well as rebate for homestay booking (minimum 2D3N) at any participating homestay nationwide.

Bear in mind that this initiative is only applicable to Malaysian citizens, and you may only redeem one redemption during the campaign. The table below contains the full list of Special Interest Initiative and the details of each initiative to ease your planning. 

Source: Ministry of Finance

While we understand how exciting these travel perks are, here’s a gentle reminder to always stay protected when going on your trips.

Do you know Generali offers domestic travel insurance online to protect you and your loved ones whilst on holiday? Just pick between Jom Lokal (overland travel) or SmartTraveller Easy Domestic (air and land travel) and you’re all set for your Cuti-cuti Malaysia.

Find out more about Domestic Travel Insurance or purchase your travel insurance online today to get instant protection.